It’s become more and more popular to trade out the dairy for plant-based milks. Whether you’re lactose intolerant, vegan, or want to decrease your consumption of animal products, then oat milk is an excellent option because 1. it’s way easy AND 2. it’s a sustainable, eco friendly option.
If you’re like me, you probably figure there’s some sort of wizardry that goes into making oat milk. But in all seriousness, for some reason I was under the impression that it was difficult to make and that you need fancy equipment. Alas, my friends, this is not the case!
The reality is that you only need a blender, oats, water, vanilla extract, and dates if you want a little sweetness. This oat milk is easy, extremely economical, and eco-conscious. You don’t have to waste a tetrapak or plastic bottle to enjoy oat milk at home! On top of all of those great benefits of oat milk, there are more important environmental aspects.
Many people love almond milk and you may use this as your regular milk. However, did you know that it takes about 15 gallons of water to produce 16 almonds, as cited by an article in the New York Times? THIS IS A LOT OF WATER! And then to make the “milk” there is MORE WATER added to the blended nuts (plus most brands have additives and stabilizers – yuck). This is a huge environmental burden.
A vast majority of almonds are grown in California, which is drought-ridden. There isn’t enough water, so the almond growers drill deep into aquifers to get the water they need for the increasing demand of almonds. If you want to read more about the environmental impact almonds have, click here.
Oats, conversely, are a very friendly plant to grow, as they help restore the soil and do not require much water. Oats kept in crop rotation with other common crops like corn and soybeans help the soil remain healthy and increases yields of the other crops. Almonds cannot do this because they grow on trees!
Always with the goal of sustainability at the forefront in my decision-making, I have decided that oat milk is a much better choice for a daily plant-milk than almond milk. Plus, with organic oats at about $1.50 per pound, you can’t beat the price. I buy my oats in bulk and bring my reusable cotton bag to fill up. If you look under my tab called SHOP, I have linked to the site where I purchased my fav reusable produce bags. This company also sells solid cotton bags, which are perfect for the bulk bins at your grocery store (eco bags). (I was not paid to advertise them, just have been using these bags for years)
[Pro tip for buying in bulk: write the item codes in the Notes of your cell phone and tell the cashier the code at checkout (no wasted tags or labels!)]
So with all of that, I hope you enjoy this simple, quick, tasty oat milk recipe!
Super easy and creamy oat milk that is a great milk-substitute and an eco-friendly option! Make it in less than 10 minutes and use in all of your favorite coffee, smoothie and breakfast recipes.
Author: Leah Romay
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